Congratulations to the organisers and volunteers who again made the Tullamore Irish Festival a great success. The entertainment and action packed programme was a credit to your hard work and organisation, and the smiles and fun displayed by festival goers was a sure marker of a great time had by all. Following our hot and dry summer this
year, Council quarterly water readings (December to March) has showed a surge in water rates across the Shire. Residents are being warned to expect higher than average water bills as a result of this increase in consumption. Accounts for the previous quarter will be issued to residents this Friday the 1st of April 2016. Parkes Shire
Council encourages residents to utilise the information on the Council website, including understanding your water account bill and ways to conserve water in your home and garden.

Local events continue into the Easter school holiday break with activities planned for all ages. Seniors Week kicks off this Friday and continues through to April 10th, with various activities being organised including an art exhibition at the Parkes Library and a range of activities organised by Neighbourhood Central. Youth Week 2016 will be held from April 8th to 16th, and to celebrate a free Pop-Up Cinema will travel to each township in the Shire so bring your chairs, bean bags, a picnic and the whole family. Visit Council’s website to find out more details of these events.

There is always a lot to see and do in our Shire and this Easter long weekend is no exception. The Tullamore Irish Festival is set to be action packed with loads of activities and entertainment for all the family. Congratulations to the organisers of the Festival which promises to be a great event.

Youth Week 2016 will be held from April 8th to 16th and to celebrate a Pop Up Cinema will travel to each township in the Shire screening free movies to our youth, and Seniors Week kicks off (1st-10th April) with various activities being organised by Neighbourhood Central. Visit our Council website to find out more details of both these events. Parkes Shire Council’s new Waste Collection Service is set to start from the 4th of April, enabling residents to waste less and recycle more. This means residents that have garbage collection services will have access to three waste services – organics, recycling and general waste.

Netwaste in conjunction with Council will be providing more information to ensure all residents are confident in using the new service. Parkes, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore pools will remain open over the Easter long weekend following Parkes Council agreeing to extend the season to Sunday, 3rd April. Although the community request for the season extension has been granted it’s important to acknowledge the additional costs associated with the pools remaining open and we appreciate the communities’ ongoing patronage of the pool. Enjoy your Easter break!

I trust the warmest March that I can remember isn’t getting you down? The pool is lovely at this time of year, it’s been great to see the ladies aqua aerobics and Men’s Shed group taking advantage of the idyllic conditions. Ideally, the farming community would like to see some rain so that early sowing and winter crop preparations can commence. As a result, dam water supplies are perilously low on many farms, and a run off event is needed.

The dry season has also impacted our water consumption with higher than average being seen for the past 3 months.
Many residents may see a spike in their water bills which will be issued on April 1 as a result of this increased consumption. The feedback from residents regarding the new waste disposal service has certainly been interesting.

While I acknowledge that Netwaste and Council have not effectively sold the benefits and advantages of the new system, I encourage all residents to do their best to change their habits to meet the new bin schedule.

The Marbles Championships is sure to be a great evening at the golf club tonight. Why not also venture to the Tullamore Irish Festival this Easter, as it promises to be an amazing event with wonderful hospitality and entertainment.

Thank you to all the volunteers who are assisting with the sorting out and packing of unwanted items from the old Parkes and Forbes hospitals, your help is greatly appreciated.

Well done to Cheryl and the Parkes Phoenix team. The first publication was a credit to your hard work and organisation. Parkes Shire Council’s new Waste Collection Service is almost here, enabling residents to waste less and recycle more, the new system will commence from the 4th of April.

The new Water and Sewage Treatment Plants have commenced the first phases of construction with John Holland Pty Ltd setting up site offices at each site. To ensure that local businesses and the local community received the maximum benefit from projects a networking night was held for local businesses to meet the John Holland
team and learn about the packages of work available.

We are very fortunate in our shire to boast an active community and a number of exciting events The Parkes Field Day is being held today I encourage everyone to head to the Racecourse to support our local businesses and industry.

Congratulations to the organisers of the Field Day which again promises to be a great event. There is always a lot to see and do in our Shire and I encourage you to get out and enjoy all it has to offer. Visit Council’s website to keep informed about events and happenings in the Shire.

Yours Faithfully,
Cr Ken Keith OAM
Mayor of Parkes Shire